Leave your gangster roots behind and play as the most powerful man on Earth – the President of the USA.

Use an arsenal of over-the-top super-powered weapons to protect the world from sinister alien Lord Zinyak.

Join forces to beat back the alien invaders in two player co-op mode.

Good afternoon, Mr President

Saints Row IV sees you take control of the Boss, leader of the legendary Third Street Saints gang and - thanks to helping foil a nuclear attack on the USA - an all-American hero. In fact, US citizens love the Boss so much, they've elected him President. But his time in office isn't destined to run smoothly.

An extraterrestrial warlord, Zinyak, has his sights set on Earth, and no sooner has the Boss been informed of the threat than the alien onslaught begins. The Boss and most of his cabinet are abducted by Zinyak and imprisoned within a series of computer simulations that reflect their worst fears. The Boss finds himself stuck in a 1950s version of his old stomping ground, the city of Steelport, full of alien soldiers and simulations of the Third Street Saints' old gangland enemies.

With the help of computer expert Kinzie Kensington, the Boss hacks his way back into the real world, into a brilliantly over-the-top adventure that sees him fighting to rescue his cabinet and prevent Earth's total annihilation. Filled with side-splitting humour and daring plot twists, Saints Row IV takes open world storytelling to wild new extremes - and offers up a ton of exhilarating, explosive action along the way.

Saints alive

Saints Row IV boasts a plot big, bold and brimming with excitement, and the game's production values live up to its outrageous storyline.

The visuals are incredible throughout, with every character beautifully animated and each environment a living, breathing world filled with enemies to obliterate and hidden corners to discover. The lighting and visual effects are never short of explosive, and as you zoom around on foot or in one of a fleet of spectacular, souped-up vehicles, the atmosphere is utterly electric.

The high energy vibe extends to the in-game audio, which ranges from crackling, crunching combat effects to a diverse soundtrack featuring some of the world's most acclaimed artists. There's something here for every taste, from US rapper Kendrick Lamar's smash hit Swimming Pool (Drank) to the overture from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. It's a fantastic feeling when, after hours of play, you hear a fresh tune to fire a rush of adrenaline and a new spin on the action.

Mad, bad and dangerous to know

Saints Row IV is no shrinking violet. The game's focus is set squarely on extreme, high intensity action that rarely lets up. The central story missions are yours to play at your own pace and you're free to roam around, picking off aliens and other enemies (or hapless civilians) at will.

The arsenal of weapons in Saints Row IV is stupendous: handguns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles... even weird alien creations that inflate your enemies' heads until they explode. Why not throw on your giant robotic Mech Suit and stomp around town launching missiles from your forearms - or zap baddies with the Dubstep Gun, which fires sonic blasts to set them dancing in the street.

Even better, why not do all this while dressed as a hot dog, or wearing just a towel? One of the joys of Saints Row IV is its huge range of customisation options, which allow you to refashion the Boss as extensively as you like. You can change his gender, hairstyle, skin colour, clothing and more. The list of possible customisation options is almost endless - and frequently hilarious.

It's this sense of unfettered imagination and weird and wildly exciting possibilities that makes Saints Row IV so entertaining. At one point, the Boss is even bestowed with super powers, allowing him to blaze through the streets at a hundred miles per hour or leap tall buildings in a single bound. It may sound crazy, but it's unforgettably good fun - and it makes the battle to defeat Zinyak one that you'll keep coming back to, time and again.

Twice as nice

Saints Row IV is such an entertaining experience, it makes sense to share it with friends. Luckily, the game lets you maximise the mayhem in a manic multiplayer mode that's available offline and online.

A mate can drop in and out of your game at any time, and any progress you make with them counts towards your single player quest. Best of all, it raises the possibility of two pimped-out, gun toting, super-powered Bosses dealing out a double dose of fury to the enemy.

Of course, co-operation is an option not a necessity, and you're always free to turn against each other and send the tension skyrocketing. Fighting the Zin is one thing, but trying to evade and outwit a real person as they hunt you through darkened alleys and across rooftops offers an unbeatable adrenaline rush. Of course, it only takes one lucky break or clever manoeuvre for the hunter to become the hunted...